Ithanar Islesun
Ithanar Islesun is a Blood Elf soldier, former Spellbreaker, and member of the Thalassian militia known as the Sunguard. Having returned to service during the war against the Burning Legion, the older elf has participated in a variety of conflicts with the Sunguard and currently holds the rank of Dawnward. 'Appearance' Tall and broad in stature, Ithanar still appears to be in good shape despite various injuries suffered over previous centuries. In most circles, he still is considered rather handsome or attractive despite the wear and tear. He appears well equipped for spending long stretches of time in heavy plate. Despite his time in the military, he holds himself a bit casually, often keeping a closed fist perched on a hip or with folded arms over his chest. His lips are often curled in a frown, or sometimes even an outright scowl, moreso out of annoyance than anything else. Such a look only accentuates facial features which deviate between hawkish and broad, skirting the spectrum. A variety of old scars, bumps, and bruises also mark his features, some more noticeable than others, while a full head of silver-to-off-white hair graces his shoulders. Sometimes, he ties it back but rarely. Ithanar favors a wardrobe of less revealing clothing, often wearing long-sleeved shirts and trousers when off duty, but he often is in armor. The older elf does have a few tattoos left over from his days as a Spellbreaker, but they appear to be inert. The most prominent and easily noticeable of these markings is a network of interlocking circles which run up and down the inside and outside of his right arm, inert runes inscribed on the inside of these circles. When speaking, his is voice is low and gravelly and his diction is simple and easy to comprehend. 'History' 'Early Years' Born only a few minutes after his twin sister, Ithanar enjoyed a rather peaceful childhood with his time split between the Isle and his family’s winter home deep in the heart of Silvermoon City. It was there he received the bulk of his education and schooling from tutors often employed by other noble houses. Rather quiet and introspective as a youth, Ithanar initially appeared more interested in academic fields such as mathematics and the sciences but his interests in his late adolescence eventually swerved to more martial and militaristic fields. He and his mother Idaena had several rather famous quarrels over his wishes to join King Anasterian Sunstrider’s army, as she wished for him to join the Farstriders given the family’s long-standing relationship with the organization. However she eventually relented in time, seeing that the young elf’s passion to serve along with his well suited skillset would only serve him well, and gave Ithanar permission to enlist. 'Military Career' Like many who had enlisted, Ithanar went through basic training and passed with high marks before being placed into a unit on the borders of the kingdom. Even as an infantryman in peacetime, the threat of the fallen Amani Empire and other incursions from creatures such as gnolls and giants still loomed. Over time, the eldest Islesun received various accolades and promotions for his service on the border but his rise into leadership came at an opportune moment. Having to fill in for his superior officer, who suffered a career-ending injury, Ithanar led his unit to a bloody but decisive victory over a rather ferocious trio of Amani chieftains who had invaded a township in southern Quel’Thalas. Ithanar transitioned into a permanent role of leadership and was given the chance to put together a team of soldiers to directly combat the growing threat of escalating Amani activity, which eventually resulted in a variety of bloody conflicts on the southern borders of Quel’Thalas. During this time, the elf led his unit to a string of victories which contributed to quelling the threat and made the acquaintance of such figures as Ciha Cinderveil, who would become a close friend and confidant. 'Being A Spellbreaker' When word of his successes caught the ear of decorated soldiers and mages, Ithanar found himself invited to meet with members of the fledgling order of “spellbreakers”, who had mixed martial skill and magic into a rather deadly combination. They extended an invitation to the young soldier to join them, but he spurned their offer on multiple occasions before joining. When leaving the border, he relinquished command of the unit to Ciha, who had become his second-in-command by this time. Ithanar deciding to join this group was a rather reluctant venture at first. His mind changed upon meeting his teacher Tanrae Tal’shiel, an older woman and rather skilled Spellbreaker who had garnered a reputation as one of Silvermoon’s finest. While impressed with her, the eldest Islesun was also rather smitten with the women though would not at all admit it. Her willingness to teach her rather troublesome student, along with his rather surprising skill at spellbreaking, led to the pair becoming fast friends and gaining a mutual respect for one another in the years that followed. In time, Ithanar graduated from being under Tanrae’s tutelage but the pair decided to continue their working relationship. They worked together as teachers for a new generation of Spellbreakers, some of which became rather well-known in their own right such as Morisell Redsky. They also assisted with efforts against recurring Amani incursions, of which their martial expertise and spellbreaking proved rather invaluable. The eldest Islesun also found himself to Dalaran during this timeframe as part of an ongoing partnership between Quel’Thalas and the human kingdom, testing their younger mages and offering instruction on handling more advance magics. It was during these escapades and trips that Ithanar forged a relationship with Qeren Brightmantle; the two became very fond of each other and eventually became lovers, a relationship that would last for more than a century. However, Ithanar still found himself in love with Tanrae and was surprised to learn that his affections were reciprocated. Such revelations were revealed in the aftermath of a rather brutal and concentrated strike by the Amani on another border town, in which there was cause for concern regarding Ithanar’s life. This event prompted the pair to consummate their relationship, something they kept secret and hidden from their professional lives. After receiving a blessing from both of their families, the two wed in secret in the spring and eventually had a child, a girl named Iltheria. During this time, whether by coincidence or fate, Qeren also became a significant part of Tanrae’s life, having been introduced during a trip to Dalaran, and the three elves settled upon a polyamorous relationship. In the years following Iltheria’s birth, Ithanar and Tanrae continued their work as spellbreakers, both as teachers of new generations and as active combatants in the field. When the orcish Horde spilled forth from the Dark Portal for the first time and attacked the Kingdom of Stormwind, the pair advocated for assisting their allies in the south but were ordered to stay in Quel’Thalas. 'Wars in the North and the Fall' The two spellbreakers' wishes to assist the Alliance came true during the Second War, when the Horde attempted to invade the elven kingdom. As they had done in so many conflicts before, Ithanar and Tanrae worked together on the front-lines and led a unit in dispatching Horde warlocks, sorcerers, and ogre-magi while disrupting supply lines in various forms and displays of guerilla warfare. Their actions proved vital in the effort to push back the joint orc-Amani troll invasion. Following the Second War, with an era of peace appearing to be on the horizon, Ithanar retired from active duty for the first time. Retirement did not last long for Ithanar. Only a decade passed before rumblings of war and plague passed through Quel’Thalas, and those rumors quickly became reality to the south in the human kingdom of Lordaeron. Such a rapid descent into chaos was only hastened by the dissolution of lingering alliances, and soon enough panic began to seize at the heart of the elven kingdom. Ithanar found himself pulled back into duty but not alongside Tanrae, as his talents were needed for more clandestine work. The Cult of the Damned, responsible for the plague that was currently ravaging the human kingdoms in the south, had slowly begun to spread their influence within the Quel’dorei and it was the job of the spellbreakers to combat this threat by dispatching them and sending a message. Leading a small group, the eldest Islesun soon found himself in the company of old friends and acquaintances who had committed treason and thus cut them down, some with reluctance and others with a blind and cold rage. Such events were only the beginning toward cracks forming in Ithanar’s psyche, but he did whatever he could to stave off the demoralizing effects of his work. However time was short and soon enough the Scourge began their death match toward Quel’Thalas and the Sunwell under the leadership of the fallen human prince Arthas Menethil. As the Quel’dorei began to mobilize their defenses, Ithanar returned to the Isle with Tanrae, Iltheria, and Qeren to assist in preparations to defend against the undead. While the Scourge never reached their family’s lands, as they were intercepted by House Islesun and Silvermoon’s armies at the shores, there was nonetheless a bloody battle. At first, House Islesun appeared to be successful in holding the line but it soon became apparent that the Scourge’s numbers would eventually overwhelm them in time. The defenders’ chances at success dimmed after Ithanar committed a grave mistake, failing at redirecting a rather large incantation of felfire and lost control as it was loosed upon Tanrae and Iltheria, who were both killed instantly and without warning. Between the loss of his wife and child, and the stress of the Scourge invasion, this act completely broke Ithanar. The family’s forces found themselves at a loss as the Scourge would continue to rise after each defeat, which eventually prompted Ildrielen to take command and order a full retreat as Quel’Thalas burned. 'Downfall' Ithanar somehow survived his ordeal on the northeastern shores of Quel’Thalas, but his attempt at trying to redirect the magics of the Scourge’s felcasters left lasting effects. Due to the overwhelming amount of energy he had attempted to manipulate, and not taking more care in the attempt, he had burned out his body to the point where he would never be able to use his spellbreaking abilities again. To add injury to insult, the Fel magics had begun to twist, turn, and corrupt his internal organs; in a sense, they were a highly concentrated poison that would lead to his death in little to no time. A last-ditch effort was made to save his life, as what magisters remained with Silvermoon’s forces rushed to the family’s side and constructed an elaborate series of runic magics in the form of tattoos to slowly suppress and eventually vent the Fel from Ithanar’s body. Their experiments proved successful albeit with the caveat that their patient found himself bedridden for months and was slowly rehabilitated. As the Quel’dorei began to pick up the pieces and found their culture changing, Ithanar and his family attempted to do the same. In time, he was able to regain the ability to walk along with the majority of other motor functions but losing Tanrae, Iltheria, and Qeren had proved a near fatal blow to his psyche. Self-doubt, pity, and bouts of frustration and fury began to plague him as he began a swift spiral into a deep depression. Ithanar’s true turn toward darkness occurred two years after the Fall, when Ildrielen announced she would be taking over duties as the head of House Islesun from their mother. Enraged and desperate to cling onto something in life, as he felt like everything had been taken away from him, he challenged his sister to a duel over leadership of the family. Surprisingly enough, Ildrielen accepted as she had enough of her brother’s self-pity and wanted to show him the error of his ways. In perhaps one of the more shocking moments in the family’s history, brother and sister clashed on the grounds of the family estate in a bloody and brutal battle. Ithanar emerged victorious but decided to spare his sister, even though he had the chance at the killing blow. Instead, he exiled her from the Isle and took up the mantle of leadership, become the first male to become the head of the family in their history. But Ithanar proved to be a terrible leader, as his spiral into depression and near-madness made him incapable of rational decisions. The family’s fortunes quickly waned, and the Farstriders cut off their partnership, which led to House Islesun effectively become inert. For the better part of a half-decade, the eldest Islesun barely left the family’s estate and instead chose to wallow in the darkness he had brought upon himself. Even chance visits from old friends such as Ciha or his brother Ithaerin proved fruitless, leaving Ithanar alone, friendless, and broken with only the young groundskeeper Hylaen to keep him company. 'Return' Over the next half-decade, Azeroth saw a variety of changes and a pattern emerged in the relations between the Alliance and Horde, ranging from a semi-cold war to working together against various otherworldly threats such as the Legion and the Scourge. For the most part, Ithanar stayed uninvolved. Part of this was his self-imposed seclusion, but also his feelings on the Sin’dorei joining the Horde were not positive at first. Working alongside the same orcs and trolls that had attempted to take Quel’Thalas during the Second War did not sit well with him. However, in time, his opinions began to change in light of the faction’s efforts and he began to explore the possibility of returning to service. His chance came during the Cataclysm, when some of his old comrades pleaded with him to assist in training a new generation of spellbreakers. Bolstered by their support, Ithanar underwent further physical rehabilitation and began to work himself back into shape before returning to the mainland for the first time in years. While no longer able to use his spellbreaker abilities, Ithanar’s mind still proved surprisingly sharp thus allowing him to be a rather capable teacher and instructor. He trained dozens of students and surprisingly found the majority to be open and receptive to his teaching them despite his physical limitations. From time to time, he would even venture out into the field with his students. As Ithanar continued teaching and some field operations, he also took up some contracts on behalf of the Reliquary to hunt down lost artifacts and relics. This particular combination of teaching and serving in the field on behalf of Silvermoon and the Reliquary served as further rehabilitation of his physical and martial skills over the next few years. He still maintained a status of being semi-retired, but found himself working more and more in the field as time passed. 'Gallery' Tumblr oaqagbKQnf1rf9shno2 1280.png|Art by Figgeryboo IthanarTennine.jpg|Art by Tennine IthanarFace.PNG|Roll20 token created by Sakialyn Category:Characters Category:Sunspears